Saturday, 21 July 2012

I wasn't planning on doing another piece for the upcoming show, but I came across this while I was in the studio. I drew it onto canvas a few weeks ago, but put it to one side. Trying to see if it would work, I got some colour onto it this afternoon.

Part of it is based on a sketchbook drawing from our first trip to The Rookery in 2010:

I'm unsure of it at the moment. It may work out, but whether it'll go into the show ....

This is the third new painting for next month's show and probably the last I'll be doing for it. It's a fairly small picture, only 16 x 16 ins, and is edging into slightly strange new territory for me. I'm intrigued to know where it might be leading me.

Tuesday, 17 July 2012

Even though my two man show is currently running at Alnwick right now (still time for you to get up there and catch it!), I'm working out some new subject matter for my next show, which will be a solo effort throughout August in Newcastle .

I've been thinking about my Rock and Tree series and how that might be enlarged and expanded upon. The shades of Graham Sutherland and Paul Nash are sitting in the studio right now giving me advice and this is today's freshly started painting.

Monday, 9 July 2012

A while ago the Private View for the Bailiffgate show was changed from last Tuesday night , when the weather was as decent as we've come to expect for summer, to Friday when the forecast was for torrential rain and flood warnings were out for just about everywhere you could think of. As a result the turnout of guests was not all we might have wished for. Even the solid gold I'll be theres I've come to count on called me up and apologised for their absence.

Luckily, the Bailiffgate Museum is run entirely byvolunteers who do a sterling job and many of them turned up to help dispel any feeling of abandonment. The chairman made a splendid speech and overall we had a good time.

In keeping with the zeitgeist, my camera batteries failed on me and I had to keep taking them out and turning them round just to take these four photographs.

Wednesday, 4 July 2012

I spent three and a half hours on Sunday with Pat and Tony Montague setting up the Harry Bell & Tony Montague show at Bailiffgate in Alnwick. It looks good, if I say so myself, and with thirty of my paintings on display (Tony has twenty-nine), it's easily the biggest show I've ever put on.

The exhibition has started, but if you'd like to come to the Private View, it's on Friday at 6.30pm. I'll be there and happy to talk to you.

About Me

Welcome to my blog. I'm a professional artist whose work is mainly derived from the study of towns and cities. Light and shadow on buildings is a major fascination while colour and I wrestle regularly. I work mainly in oil paint, but am trying to revive my drawing practice. I'm still very much a figurative painter aiming at some kind of modern representation. I believe in the continuing value of painting and follow in its long and honourable tradition.